Sewing-machine work measurer



Aug. 24 1926. 1,591,071

E. F: KEYWOOD SEWING MACHINE WORK MEASURER Fil pril 7. 1 2 2 Sheets-Sheet] Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES EDITH F KEYWOOD, OFKENNEVJICK, WASHINGTON.

SEWING-MACHINE Application filed Aprilfi,

This invention relatesto devices to be attached to, or mounted on sewing machines, and has for its object to enable the operator to know the length ofthe work performed on any particular piece, and- -at any time, whether the work lie-straight, or curved, or zigzag'ged, or of any form whatever, without having toapply the tape'measure thereto, whereby when the charge for-thetask is' gauged bythe length of the work done, the charge may be quickly, accurately, and justly made and'the customer will besatistied without dispute. Other objects are to provide such a measurer which may be instantly and accurately adjusted for any desired feed of'the material, on which the work is being performed, through the sewing machine; which will read directly in yards and inches, orother units, the length of the path of the material past the sewing needle; whichm'ay be quickly 'attachedtoa sewing machine-and which is-readily-adjustable relatively thereto; and to produceameasuring device which will be simple and cheap to make. and convenient to use.

I attain these and otherobjects by the' de-' vices, mechanisms-and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of .a sewing'ma chine with my work measurer attached thereto; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe' work measurer after the back plate thereof has been removed; Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, a portion being shownfb'roken away and in section to reveal the mechanism therein; Fig. & is a diagrammatic View showing the connection between my work measurer and the operating and feeding mechanism of the sewing machine; Fig. 5 is'a pla-n view" ofa portion of my device to illustrate the indicating adjuster and its adjust ment; Figs. 6' and 7 are side elevation and plan, both shown partly in'section; of the ratchet mechanism. Similar numerals of reterencerefer to similar parts throughout the-several views.

There are .many' different types.- of; work where it is very desirable and often, necessary to measure the length'iof .the; work done; :by' a j sewing macl ine, 'fo.r. ..in-; stance-, to i check up the -output t; an em;- ployee ,or;- to chargea custOmerI for Ethe workdone; In; sewing, machines: the length 0f. the

' teed-$01. theim'aterial,passingithrougtr' the occasions and 7 WORK MEASURER.

1924; Serial No; 704,802.

machine, is adjustable and therefore: it is not possible to provide the required information by simply counting the "revolutions of'the machine withoutlaborious calculations, and it'becomes necessary to provide a convenient adjustment in the mechanism itself'whereby the indicator willalter its rate of registeringin accordance with the saidadjustment.

Referring to the drawings it will be understood'that the sewing machine indicated" therein may be one of anyftype or make, so long as it-is provided-with an operating-or sewing niechanism'and a--feecling mechanism. In Fig. t such a ly' indicated. The main shaft l thereof is driven by any suitable means and extends through the arm 2 to the head 3 where it connects to the "needle bar 4 and-the'other coordinate operating mechanisms by suit-ablemeans. Also-aconnectionis made'from said shaft 1 to the base of'the machine by the connecting rode, orany other suitable means. This rod 5 is operably,- attached to a-rocking'lever 6 and shaft? leading-to thefeed mechanism'8 which-'is adjustable in length of feed stroke. Thus it'willbeseen that-the main shaft 1 drives both the operating and feed mechanisms thoughthefeed mechanism is adjustable" relatively' to the operating mechanism In the form otmy inventionillustrated in'thedrawings,the mechanism is mounted in 'a'circularbox or container 10, adjacent to the driven end of the shaft-1. The box isadjustablymountedon suitable"supports or legs 11. These supports'are secured to the sewing machine table 9-'b'ymeans of screws '12 passingth-rough slots 13 in the horizontal flanges of the legs'll. The box 10' is also adjustablysecured to the supports 11 by means ofscrews 14 passingthrough slots 15 in the upper ends of said supports: The supports 11 are preferably." bent outward near the -part' engaging the box 10 to approximately fit: then circular shape of the' box. Thu's the boy may-be raised by adjusting the 'legs'- 11 closer to-= gether, on} the table r9 and causin'g thei screws 14. to slide up" in the slets-=15; crib-maybe tilted by moving; the screws' 14: in the slots' 15 as desi:red;.- i

Thefbox lO is'provided. with a front plate 16 on} which suitable indicating :seales 5717'- and l8jare' -moi'1nti ad and with F a back plate machine-is diagramm'atical 19 which closes it. In this instance the larger scale 17 (Fig. 1) shows inches from to 36 or one yard, and the smaller scale 1.8 shows yards from O to 100. The pointers or hands hereinafter described are geared so that one complete rotation of the large hand moves the small hand one one-hundredth of a turn.

iVithin the box I fasten a. narrow upright plate 20 on which the entire mechanism is mounted. A shaft 21 is mounted in bearings 22 in horizontal position, near the top of the plate 20, and extends out through the'box wall and is adapted to be attached to the main drive shaft 1 of the sewing machine by any suitable means so as to be turned thereby. In some sewing machines the shaft 1 makes three turns for every stitch, in others it makes two turns per stitch, while in still others it makes a stitch for every turn of the shaft. lVhen the shaft 21 makes three turns per stitch it is necessary to gear it down since there would be twenty-four turns of the shaft for each inch of work performed if the feed be adjusted for eight stitches per inch. This may be accomplished by mounting a worm 23 on the shaft 21, and a gear 24, meshing with the worm 23, on a pivot pin 25 mounted on the plate 20. The relative dimensions between the worm 23 and gear 24 may be changed for different machines, but it is intended that the gear should make one complete revolution for each inch of work done when the feed is at its normal adjustment for the particular kind of machine. A crank pin 26 is mounted in suitable eccentric position on the gear 24 and a connecting rod 27 leads therefrom and connects to a radius rod 28. This rod 28 is pinned at one end to the plate 20 and at the other end to the rod 27, and limits or defines the motion of the said rod 27. The length of the radius rod 28 is greater than the eccentricity of the crank pin 26 and therefore the radius rod 28 and the end of the connecting rod 27 have an oscillatory motion about the pivot of the radius rod 28. A control lever 29 is pivoted at its lower end to the plate 20 and extends therefrom to and through a slot in the wall of the box 10 as hereinafter described. This lever 29 carries a fulcrum pin 30 attached to it in proper position thereon. A walking beam 31 is provided with a slot 32, intermediate its ends, and the above described fulcrum pin 30 passes through this slot 32 to control the relative motion of the two ends of said walking beam 31 by the position of the said fulcrum pin 30 in the said .slot 32. One end of the walking beam 31 is connected to the connecting rod 27 and the radius rod 28 at their point of interconnection, and its motion is therefore defined and controlled by the motion of the said rods 27 and 28, The

other end of the walking beam 31 is connected to the ratchet mechanism by means of the link 33.

The ratchet mechanism illustrated in the drawings comprises an outer cup 34, cylindrical in form, mounted centrally on a horizontal pin 35 which is j-ournalled in and passes through the plate 20. A cylindrical block 36 fits in the cup 34 and turns freely therein relatively thereto. An arm 37 ex tends from the block 36 without touching the edge of the cup 34 and is connected to the above-mentioned link 33 in such manner that the block 36 will oscillate with the walking beam 31 and the connecting rod 27. A friction spring 38 engages the outer surface of the cup 34 to prevent its undesirable backward rotation. A strai ht groove 39 is formed in the cylindrical surface of the block 36. A ball 40 rests in said groove and is,confined thereby and by the inner cylindrical wall of the cup 34. A light spring 41 may, in some cases, be mounted in the groove 39 and engage the ball 40 to keep it close to the point where it engages L both the bottom of the groove and the said wall. It is evident that as'the block oscillates it will alternately crowd the ball against the wall, and thus turn the cup 34 and its pin 35, or release the ball from contact with the wall or rather permit the ball to roll freely along the wall without any tendency to turn the said cup, which is prevented from accidental turning at this part of the stroke by the said friction spring 38. Thus it will be seen that the cup 34 will al ways turn in the same direction through a certain angle each time that the gear 24 makes one revolution, and that the said turning motion is intermittent in character, taking place when the crank pin 26 is rising' and being discontinued when the crank pin is passing downward. And, further, it will be understood that the certain angle through which the cup 34 will'thus turn depends on the position of the fulcrum pin 30 of the walking beam, which governs the extent of the motion of the driving end of the walking beam and of the arm 37. By moving the pin 30 towards the rod 27 the cup 34 will turn through a greater angle for each revolution of the gear 24 than b moving it towards the link 33. It follows that by properly proportioning the parts any desired angular motion may be obtained. As above stated the control lever 29 passes through a slot 42 in the box 10. In order to hold the lever 29 in desired position therein I provide a holding plate 43, adjustably secured to the-wall of the box 10, adjacent to and overlapping a part of the said slot 42, by means of screws 44 passing through slots 45 in the plate, said slots being arranged in such manner that the said plate 43 may be shifted lengthwise of the slot 42.

If desired intermediate adjustments may also, be made by providing the desired notches.

As above statedthe pin 35 of the ratchet cup 34 is journalled in the plate 20. This pin also extends through the front plate 16 and has the long pointer or hand 47 secured to it so that every movement of the ratchet cup 34 means an equal angular turn of the said pointer 47 which registers on the outer scale 17 the length of the work done by the operating needle during the period of comparison. A pinion 48 (Fig.

3) is also mounted on the pin 35, between V the plates and 16. A large gear 49 is mounted on the plate 20 in mesh with the pinion 48 and has a second pinion 50 in connection with it. A large gear 51 is mounted on a tubular shaft 52, through which the above described pin pas es, and passes through the front plate 16 and has the short hand or pointer 53 secured to it,

said pointer registering over the smaller scale 18. When the diameters and number of teeth of the pinions 48 and and of the gears 49 and 51 have a relation of tento-one each then the hand 47 makes one hundred complete turns while the hand 53 makes one turn. If desired the above reduction gears 48, 49, 50 and 51 may be mounted between two plates, as shown, the auxiliary plate 54 being secured to the plate 20, and receiving the pins or shafts of the several gears in the usual manner.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a sewing machine work-measurer, the combination of a mechanism. automatically feeding the material through the machine; operating mechanism, cooperating with the feed mechanism, for performing the work on the material as it is fed therethrough; rotating means connected to and operated by said operating mechanism; a rocking lever; means whereby one end of said rocking lever is connected to and actuated by said rotating means; a fulcrum for said rocking lever; a ratchet mechanism, comprising a rotatable member and a reciprocable member; means whereby the reciprocable member is connected to and operated by the other end of the rocking lever, whereby the rocking motion thereof is transformed into an intermittent rotary motion of the rotatable member; and means connected to the rotatable member of said ratchet mechanism, whereby the motion of the rocking lever is registered.

2. A sewing machine work-measurcr as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fulcrum is adjustable relative to the ends of said rocking lever, whereby the ratchet actuating end thereof has an adjustable motion while the end thereof actuated by the rotating means has a defined motion.

3. In asewing machine work-measurer, the combination of a mechanism automatically feeding the material through the machine; operating mechanism, cooperating with the feed mechanism, for performing the work on the material as it is fed therethrough; rotating means connected to and operated by said operating mechanism; a rocking lever; means whereby one end of said rocking lever is connected to and actuated by said rotating means; an adjustable fulcrum for said rocking lever whereby the other end thereof has an adjustable mot-ion while that end thereof actuated by the rotating means has a defined motion; a ratchet mechanism, comprising a rotatable member and a reciprocable member; means whereby the reciprocable member is connected to and operated by the end of the rocking lever having an adjustable motion, whereby the rocking motion thereof is transformed into an intermittent rotary motion of the rotatable memberpmeans connected to the rotatable member of said ratchet mechanism, whereby the adjusted motion of the rocking lever is registered; and means for adjusting the position of said fulcrum.

.4. A sewing machine work-measurer as set forth in claim 3, in combination with means for holding said fulcrum adjusting means in adjusted position.

5. A sewing machine work-measurer as set forth in claim. 3, in combination with means for guiding that end of the rocking lever which is connected to and actuated by said rotating means, whereby it has a defined motion.

' EDITH F. KEYYVOOD.

lll) 

